The genesis of formal police agency creation in U.S. cities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Police scholars have studied the creation and formalization of police organizations in U.S. cities during the mid-1800s, and competing explanations describe why cities adopted formal and professional police departments. Riots, class conflict, and an increase in crime have been proposed as reasons why cities created police agencies. The current study tests whether police organizations were created and formalized in response to city-level differences in dangerous classes, specifically African Americans. Using intercensal estimates of historical Census data from 1840 to 1930, this study analyzes the importance of racial ratios as they relate to the creation of a formalized police department in 64 U.S. cities. The data is sourced primarily from northern cities, as these were among the first areas to formally adopt police departments. Definitively determining a cause or causes of police agency creation is both an interesting and unique research question that has not been addressed. Empirically testing historical police theories is rare because the data is notoriously hard to acquire. This study attempts to remedy this situation by pulling data from four sources of agency creation. Results indicate that the racial composition of a city was not a significant predictor of the creation of a police department. Importantly, this finding indicates that other explanations of police agency creation should be tested empirically.